✈️ India’s Fighter Jet Modernisation: MiG-21 Retirement, LCA Delays & The Road Ahead
Suryavanshi IAS Defence & Security Insight Series | For UPSC Prelims, Mains (GS-2 & GS-3), Essay & Interview
🔍 Why in News?
The MiG-21 fighter jets, the backbone of India’s air power for decades, are set to be retired in September 2025, marking the end of an era. Meanwhile, the Indian Air Force (IAF) faces capability gaps due to delays in inducting LCA-Mk1A jets, even as China and Pakistan modernise their fleets rapidly.
🧭 UPSC Syllabus Mapping:
| Paper | Topic |
|---|---|
| GS Paper 2 | International Relations – India and its neighbourhood; India’s security challenges |
| GS Paper 3 | Internal Security – Role of defence forces; Indigenisation of technology; Defence R&D |
| Prelims | Current Affairs; Defence acquisitions; Key government programmes like AMCA, Tejas, etc. |
| Essay | Strategic autonomy; Self-reliance in defence; National security in the 21st century |
🧾 Legacy of the MiG-21: Why Were They Called ‘Flying Coffins’?
📜 Historical Context:
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Inducted in 1963 after the 1962 Sino-India war.
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India’s first supersonic jet and first non-Western fighter.
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872 inducted (many license-manufactured by HAL).
🎖️ Operational Highlights:
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Played key roles in the 1965 & 1971 wars, Kargil conflict, and the 2019 Balakot operation.
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Notably, Abhinandan Varthaman shot down a Pakistani F-16 in a MiG-21 Bison in 2019.
☠️ Safety Record:
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Over 450 crashes in six decades.
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Nicknamed ‘Flying Coffins’ due to frequent crashes in the early 2000s.
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Used as Stage-III trainer jets in absence of AJTs until 2008.
🚨 Current IAF Fighter Strength Crisis
📉 Squad Strength:
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Ideal: 42 squadrons, each with 16–18 jets.
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Current: 29 squadrons post MiG-21 retirement.
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A wide gap as China fields ~1,900 fighters (including 1,300+ 4th Gen) and Pakistan is likely to receive 40 J-35 stealth jets.
🛩️ Active Aircraft:
| Fighter | Remarks |
|---|---|
| SU-30MKI | Backbone, 260 in service; upgrade planned |
| LCA Mk1 | 2 squadrons inducted (2016); Mk1A delayed |
| Mirage-2000, Jaguar, MiG-29 | To be phased out by 2030 |
| MiG-21 | Retiring in 2025 |
| AMCA (Fifth Gen) | Under development |
🧯 Why Was LCA Mk1A Delayed?
🔧 Development & Contract:
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₹48,000 crore deal signed in 2021 for 83 jets.
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Planned delivery: March 2024, 16 jets/year.
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Not a single Mk1A delivered so far.
🛑 Reason for Delay:
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Development issues.
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Non-delivery of F404 engines by GE Aerospace due to supply chain issues.
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First engine arrived in April 2025 — a 1.5-year delay.
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97 more Mk1As (₹67,000 crore) under negotiation.
🔮 What’s the Way Forward for Indian Air Power?
🚀 Jet Induction Plan (Next Two Decades):
| Jet Type | Number Planned |
|---|---|
| LCA Mk-1A | 180 |
| LCA Mk-2 | 120+ |
| AMCA (5th Gen) | 120 |
| MRFA (Multi-role foreign jets) | 114 |
| Su-30MKI (new) | 12 (replacement); 84 to be upgraded |
⚙️ Engine Development:
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LCA Mk2 to use GE F414 engine (HAL to licence-manufacture).
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AMCA Mk1: F414 engine; AMCA Mk2: new 110KN engine co-developed with a foreign partner.
🌍 Global Comparison: China and Pakistan
| Country | Fighter Jets | Stealth Capability |
|---|---|---|
| China | ~1,900 | J-20, J-31 |
| Pakistan | ~450 | JF-17, acquiring 40 J-35s |
| India | ~600 (planned) | AMCA under development |
🧠 Critical Analysis for UPSC Mains
✅ Positives:
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Strong push for indigenisation via Tejas and AMCA.
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Participation of private sector in AMCA — first time HAL is not nominated automatically.
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Empowered Committee to enhance IAF capability.
⚠️ Concerns:
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Delays in production.
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Dependence on foreign engines.
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Slow MRFA progress despite RFI issued in 2019.
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Numerical gap with China and Pakistan.
🧭 Way Ahead:
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Accelerate GE engine supplies and indigenous development.
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Strengthen HAL capacity (aim: 24 Tejas/year).
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Speed up AMCA prototype phase.
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Evaluate limited 5th Gen fighter imports (e.g., F-35 or Su-57) for interim capability.
📚 UPSC Previous Year Questions (Relevant)
🧩 Mains GS-3: 2022
“What are the challenges to internal security through communication networks? What solutions do you suggest?”
→ Connect to cyber-warfare & airspace security.
🧩 Mains GS-3: 2021
“How is indigenisation of technology helpful in achieving self-reliance in defence sector?”
✅ Directly connected. Use LCA, AMCA, and engine development as examples.
🧩 Mains GS-3: 2019
“India’s proximity to two of the world’s biggest illicit drug producing regions has adversely affected its internal security.”
→ Add angle of border air defence gaps due to squadron shortage.
🧩 Prelims 2019
With reference to the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), consider the following statements...
→ Defence tech questions are frequent in Prelims. Watch for Tejas/AMCA-type questions.
📝 Sample Practice Questions for UPSC
Mains Answer Writing (GS-3):
Q: Evaluate the role of indigenously developed fighter aircraft in achieving India’s strategic autonomy and air dominance. Examine the challenges in their timely delivery.
(250 words)
Essay Topic:
"In Defence of the Nation: Self-Reliance vs Strategic Partnerships"
🧵 Conclusion
India is at a critical inflection point in its defence aviation strategy. The retirement of MiG-21s is symbolic of an era's end, while the future lies in swift indigenous production of LCA and AMCA variants. However, unless delays are addressed and partnerships fast-tracked, India's fighter strength will continue to lag behind regional adversaries. For UPSC aspirants, this topic remains central to defence indigenisation, national security, and India-China-Pakistan geopolitics — themes likely to recur in Mains and Essay papers.
📌 Prepared by Suryavanshi IAS | Follow for Weekly UPSC Security Series
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